The present invention relates to a light switching device for a motor vehicle, in which at least one switching component that is capable of more than one switching position for switching on and off a plurality of lamps of the operating illumination of a motor vehicle, indicating means for illumination functions and electrical plug-in connection means are integrated and are insertable in one piece into the dashboard or the instrument panel of the motor vehicle.
At present, light switches, dimmers for setting the brightness of the instrument illumination, devices for checking lamps, fuses for lamps, additional devices such as daytime driving lights, etc. are individually installed in motor vehicles and are individually wired as single modules. A disadvantage of this is the great expenditure on parts, in particular also with regard to the required electrical connections of these parts between one another and sets of cables required for this. Assembly costs are correspondingly high. The resulting weight component and limitations on reliability are also appreciable.
The operating instructions of the Mercedes Benz S class vehicle disclose light switching devices of the same generic type in which a switching component, capable of more than one switching position, for switching on and off a plurality of lamps of the operating illumination of a motor vehicle and indicating means for illumination functions are integrated and which can be inserted in one piece into the dashboard or the instrument panel of the motor vehicle. The electric fuses, which protect corresponding circuits, are accommodated in a main fuse box in the engine compartment and are in connection with the light switching device via corresponding cables.
German Patent Document DE 38 02 462 C2 discloses a steering-column switch for motor vehicles which combines a plurality of light switching functions in one switching component. German Patent Document DE 29 36 187 B1 describes a driving-light and headlamp flasher circuit on a circuit board of a steering-column switch for motor vehicles.
An object of the present invention is to provide a light switching device which significantly reduces the expenditure on parts mentioned at the beginning and the number of required connections between the various parts of the illumination device of a motor vehicle and manages with a minimum of cable sets.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention that provides a light switching device for a motor vehicle having an operating illumination with a plurality of lamps and exchangeable fusing means, and at least one of a dashboard and an instrument panel. The light switching device comprises at least one switching component, capable of more than one switching position and coupled to the plurality of lamps, for switching on and off the plurality of lamps; indicating means for illumination functions; and electrical plug-in connection means. The switching component, the indicating means and the electrical plug-in connection means are integrated in one piece that is insertable into the dashboard or the instrument panel of the motor vehicle. An integrated semi-conductor circuit that monitors current flows provides at least one of a checking and a warning function for the operating illumination. A patchboard for the fusing means is integrated into the light switching device such that the fusing means are accessible from the interior of the vehicle at the level of the at least one switching component.
The light switching device of the present invention achieves this and other objects by integrating in one piece the operating illumination control, the circuit fuses and circuit monitoring appertaining to the operating illumination, to be precise in such a way that the fuses are very easily accessible. This is achieved by providing the fuses at the level of the actuating handle of the switching component for the illumination control.
The light switching device according to the invention makes it possible for assembly to be simplified considerably. The present invention saves many cables and plug-in connections, considerably increasing reliability. The light switching device can also be installed during vehicle production at preassembly stations, for instance in cockpit assembly. This results in considerable advantages in terms of time and consequently in terms of cost.
Due to the geometrically identical representation of various configurations, any desired exchange of the light switching device between different models or series of vehicle is also possible. Furthermore, the light switching device offers the advantage that all the light operating functions are arranged such that they are concentrated in one area in the cockpit, as a result of which the ergonomics of the operator interface of a vehicle can be optimized in a desired manner.
Two exemplary embodiments of the light switching device according to the invention are described below and are represented in the drawings.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.